1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a credit transaction processing system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a credit transaction processing system wherein a credit sale (including cash dispensing) of a commodity is made by using a customer's card so that a transfer processing of an amount sold is made.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the number of people who utilize a so-called credit card is increasing. A credit sale using a credit card is typically effected by mere presentation of a credit card to a store, the store then permitting the customer to purchase a commodity or commodities from the store or to have his meal out without paying cash at that time. Instead, the amount required for purchasing the commodity and the like is automatically transferred from a banking institution where the customer holds an account, at a later date.
A current credit sale system comprises a credit company, a member store and a customer who utilizes a credit card. In case where a customer purchases commodities and the like at a member store by using a credit card, a card number thereof is written or imprinted on two sheets of paper, for example, by a particular machine at the store, one sheet of paper being given the customer as a receipt and the other sheet of paper being left in the store with the signature of the customer. The other sheet of paper left in the store is forwarded to a credit company and correspondingly, the store receives from the credit company the money corresponding to the price of the commodity purchased by the customer. The reception of the money is generally made by electronic fund transfer, by a credit company, of the required amount of money to an account in a predetermined banking institution designated by the store. The credit company automatically receives, at a later date, the money through a transfer from the bank account of the customer who purchased the commodity by using the credit card.
On the other hand, if and when the store sells commodities to a customer through a credit sale, in principle, the credit sale is not permitted exceed an upper limit of an amount which is predetermined, in advance, by a contract between the credit company and the store and, if an amount of a credit transaction exceeds the upper limit, the store contacts the credit company by way of a telephone, for example, and makes a sale only after obtaining an approval of the credit company. The reason is that, if the amount to be transferred from a predetermined account of the customer is not deposited in the predetermined account of the customer, the credit company who will be liable to the store the price of the commodities purchased by the customer incurs a risk of nonreimbursement from the customer to the detriment of the credit company. Thus, in order to avoid such risk or in order to reduce the damage to a minimum even if the damage occurs, an upper limit of the amount to be sold through a credit sale is predetermined. If an attempted credit sale exceeds the upper limit, it can then be determined whether the credit sale should be made or not, depending on the past records of the customer, the amount deposited in his bank account and the like.
In addition, in order to prevent a credit sale to a suspended customer who has demonstrated himself a bad credit risk, a credit company distributes to member stores a list enumerating the names of suspended customers and instructs the stores not to make credit sales to the customers enumerated on the list. However, it is necessary for a store clerk to check manually the list whenever a credit sale is made. Particularly, such checking is very time consuming due to an increase of frequency in the credit sales. Thus, it often occurs that the store neglects such checking of the list.
In order to expedite this process, an on-line communication between a credit company and each member store is established so that it can rapidly be determined whether a customer is suspended or not, by using a customer's card.
However, in such a case, a terminal for each credit company must be installed in each store and thus, in case of a store making a contract with a plurality of credit companies, the store must install a plurality of terminals. In addition, the money to be transferred from the credit company to each store as the price for the commodities sold by the store is transferred to a particular account of a banking institution designated by the credit company and the store. The store is not permitted to change arbitrarily the account depending on the kind of commodities to be sold, for example. Furthermore, the account number of the store is determined depending on the terminal and cannot be changed, If the store moves, a subsequent store at the same location cannot use the terminal as originally installed in the store and thus the terminal must be moved together with the transfer of the business or the change of the place of business. Department stores and large scale supermarkets often move.